Vancouver STFM Conference

This past weekend's adventure was to Vancouver, B.C., for the STFM (Society of Teachers in Family Medicine) Conference.

It had been over 10 years since I had been to Canada (ah, band trips...), and it was a blast, both educationally and sightseeing-wise!

There was great FM faculty and resident attendance, despite some of our only being able to "be gone" for limited periods of time, due to clinic/hospital responsibilities (Char flew in for less than 24 hours!)

Jeremy, Ashby and I got on a 6:15 AM flight from Sac, through Portland, to Vancouver on Saturday AM (I don't think I'd been at the airport that early... ever!!), and arrived at the hotel by noon-time. We checked in, got our badges for the conference, and got to do a bit of exploring of this beautiful city!

While the weather wasn't the greatest, we did walk around a bunch Saturday afternoon.

Vancouver has a very neat, clean downtown, with a nice waterfront.

Above is the CANADA sign above the "Canada Place" convention center by the waterfront.

Here are Ashby and Jeremy, posing by the maple-tree flags :)

Vancouver (like much of the west coast) has a large Asian population, and one of the largest Chinatowns of any city I have been to. We wandered amidst the streets, shops, and visited a pretty garden in the center.

Ashby, Jeremy w/ the guarding lion

Park Pagoda

Weird sign we saw in a mall:
You're right, I won't let you have Oxycontin over the counter!

Sunday morning, we went to a fabulous speech by a doctor who spoke about his challenges and joys, as a patient who suffered a devastating accident but who is now snowboarding and skiing with a prosthesis. I went to a lecture/discussion about a global health curriculum, and then got to visit the posters of and speak to other residents and clinicians about their experiences with important clinic topics such as continuity in FP clinics (a topic about which I am very passionate). Ashby and Kyla also presented an awesome poster about the factors going into graduates' decisions to practice/not practice OB after residency.

We took a short ferry ride across to Granville Island, which was filled with cute shops, markets, and galleries.

Ashby, Jeremy, Kyla, and me with Harry the Hippo.


A gelato cone, and view of Vancouver city (can you see the snow-capped peaks in the distance?)

We had a wonderful seafood dinner on Sunday night, with the whole UCD crew (about 20 of us!!)down by the waterfront and "Gastown" district, which is the main historic part of Vancouver.

Monday morning, I ventured to Stanley Park on a run, and had great views of the mountains!

Then, Char, Rocky, and I presented our poster on Obesity Management (we have a weight-mgmt clinic within our FP clinic which is efficacious in improving patients' 1- and 2- year weights). We had a lot of visitors!

Char, me, Rocky (pic stolen from Char)

Jeremy and I then had to try the Japadog stand outside our hotel, where there was always a n extremely long line!!! I had a yummy "Oroshi" dog, with Japanese mayo, horseradish, and the works! MMM.

Ashby and I then had to book it back to the airport, via Sky-Train, to fly back to Sac.

A short trip, but very worth it! I learned and saw a lot!

Now, if I can only figure out how to get off OB to be able to attend next year's conference in ..... NEW ORLEANS!!!